Congrats To Jack Hirsch, Bobby Cassidy Jr, The Late Bobby Gleason, Entering NY State Boxing Hall of Fame

NEW YORK (January 27, 2020) – The New York State Boxing Hall of Fame (NYSBHOF) has officially announced its 28-member Class of 2019. The ninth annual NYSBHOF induction dinner will be held Sunday afternoon (12:30-5:30 p.m. ET), April 19, at Russo's On The Bay in Howard Beach, New York.

“I am proud that we are continuing to honor New York men and woman in boxing for their dedication to the sport that they've served,” NYSBHOF president Bob Duffy said. “This is our way to thank them all and let each new inductee know that we do remember all that they did and continue to do. The Class of 2020 is strong across the board, boxers and non-participants, continuing the NYSBHOF tradition of honoring our own.”   

In fact, last year saw a record turnout to laud the 2019 class.

Living boxers heading into the NYSBHOF include three-time World light heavyweight title challenger Jorge Ahumada (42-8-2, 22 KOs), of Woodside, Queens by way of Argentina; (1975-78) …..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9C7rxsZOsc

..WBC super featherweight World Champion Alfredo “El Salsero” Escalera (53-14-3, 31 KOs), of New York City by way of Puerto Rico (below, beating Kuniaki Shibata for WBC super feather title in '75, he dropped it to Alexis Arguello in '78)….

…WBC super featherweight World title challenger Freddie “The Pitbull” Liberatore (20-4-1, 11 KOs), of Bayside, Queens; WBC middleweight title challenger and four-time New York Golden Gloves winner Dennis “The Magician” Milton (16-5-1, 5 KOs), of Bronx; World heavyweight title challenger and two-time New York Golden Gloves winner Lou Savarese (46-7, 38 KOs), of Greenwood Lake; and WBA super middleweight title World title challenger Merqui “El Corombo” Sosa (34-9-2, 27 KOs), of Brooklyn by way of the Dominican Republic. (See below from RING's Anson Wainwright what Roy Jones Jr thought of Merqui):

Posthumous participants being inducted are Brooklyn welterweight Soldier Bartfield (51-29-8, 33 KOs), who fought a reported 55 world champions; Bronx middleweight Steve Belloise (95-13-3, 59 KOs); NYSAC and World lightweight champion (1925) Jimmy Goodrich (85-34-21 (12 KOs), of Buffalo; World heavyweight title challenger Tami Mauriello (82-13-1, 60 KOs), of Bronx; WBA light middleweight World champion (1982-83) and four-consecutive New York Golden Gloves titlist Davey “Sensational” Moore (18-5, 14 KOs), of Bronx; and World lightweight champion Freddie “The Welsh Wizard” Welch (74-5-7, 34 KOs), of New York City by way of Wales.

Living non-participants heading into the NYSBHOF are Oneida judge Don Ackerman, Wantagh, Long Island journalist/producer Bobby Cassidy, Jr. (see below)…

…Buffalo manager Rick Glaser, Rockaway Beach journalist Jack Hirsch (see below)….

….Bronx boxing broadcaster Max Kellerman, Ardsley ringside physician/NY Medical Director Dr. William Lathan, Orangeburg judge Julie Lederman, Hyde Park referee Ron Lipton..

..and Staten Island/Catskill trainer Kevin Rooney.

Cassidy Jr spoke to NYF about the honor. “I am incredibly humbled and honored to be part of the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame‘s class of 2020,” the son of the fighter told us. “To join my father in the hall is a dream come true. The fact that I've written about so many of those who are being inducted, really makes this special.”

Lipton also shared with us how he took the news of the inclusion. “It is a real honor to be inducted along with people who I have known as friends and colleagues and have worked with for many years since I first started as a pro referee in 1991,” he said. ” I thank the NYSBHOF for this magnificent honor.  I have admired the work of great boxing writers Jack Hirsch and Bobby Cassidy Jr.   I have refereed Merqui Sosa in a record setting title bout  on ESPN with Prince Charles Williams in '95,  I have refereed Lou Savarese on ESPN and have worked many fights with Don Ackerman, Dr. William Lathan, Julie Lederman and Max Kellerman and refereed Kevin Rooney's fighters and have admired Dennis Milton and all the other boxers and have seen most all of their fights.  I bought many Tonight's Boxing Programs from Flash Gordon and stayed in touch. I admire all the rest of the inductees and have tremendous respect for them all and I remember them well. I wish them the best.”

Hirsch, ex president of the Boxing Writers Association of America, shared his take on being inducted: “State Hall of Fames are great because they are a wonderful alternative to the International Hall of Fame in Canastota, which so few of us can ever hope to be inducted into,” Jack said.  “The nicest part of getting into the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame is to be able to share it with my family and friends. I have experienced many great things in boxing, and this honor will rank high among them.”

Julie Lederman kindly shared her thoughts on being installed: “I’m honored beyond words,” Judge Julie said. “I can’t stop thinking about my dad, how proud he would be. New York boxing is everything to the Lederman family and to be inducted into the Hall of Fame is a dream come true.”

Posthumous non-participant inductees are Brooklyn's Lester Bromberg, who wrote boxing for the NY Post…

..New York City sportswriter Dan Daniel, Brooklyn's Gleason's Gym founder Bobby Gleason (below)…

…Sunnyside, Queens boxing writer Flash Gordon (read Eric Botjer piece on Flash here), Manhattan journalist A.J. Liebling, Long Island City's NYSBHOF co-founder Tony Mazzarella and New York City manager Dan Morgan.

There are a number of firsts regarding some Class of 2020 inductees: husband-wife – Dr. William and Melvina (Class of 2018) Lathan; daughter-father – Julie and Harold (Class of 2012) Lederman. Bobby Jr. and Bobby Cassidy, Sr. (2013) are the fourth son and father inducted into the NYSBHOF, but the first boxer/journalist combination. The others are boxers Floyd and Tracy Patterson, executive administrators Bobby and Murray Goodman, and referees Arthur, Sr. and Arthur Mercante, Jr.

Welch is going into the NYSBHOF as a boxer, but he also managed fellow Class of 2020 inductee Goodrich.

Each attending inductee will receive a custom-designed belt signifying his or her induction into the NYSBHOF.

The 2020 inductees were selected by the NYSBHOF nominating committee members: Randy Gordon, Henry Hascup, Don Majeski, Ron McNair, Jim Monteverde and Neil Terens.

All boxers needed to be inactive for at least three years to be eligible for NYSBHOF induction, and all inductees must have resided in New York State for a significant portion of their boxing careers or during the prime of their respective career.

Tickets are priced at $150.00 per adult and $60.00 for children (under 16) and includes a complete brunch and cocktail hour upon entry, starting at 12:30 p.m. ET, as well as a full course dinner (prime rib, fish or poultry) and open bar throughout the day. Tickets are available to purchase by contacting NYSBHOF president Bob Duffy at 516.313.2304 or [email protected]. Ads for the NYSBHOF program are available: half-page $100.00, full page $200.00 front and back inside covers are $400.00 each, and $500.00 for back cover. Mail checks and ads by the April 6 deadline to Bob Duffy, 1112 Whitewood Landing, Massapequa Park, NY 11762. Checks should be payable to NY State Boxing Hall of Fame, call Duffy to charge on a credit card.